Unveiling digital pedagogy tools for citizenship through a child-led study setting

This article aims to propose a child-led study setting as a bottom-up community-building approach concerning children’s engagement in digital environments. Beginning with a theoretical framework addressing the boundaries and intersections between participation and engagement, it initiates a discussion on children’s presence in the research field. This discussion is grounded in the preparation and implementation of a small-scale case study on the digital citizenship experiences of children in Istanbul, Türkiye. Viewed through a critical lens that examines the relationships among participants and contributors, including the researcher and the study’s leader/co-researchers (which include children), this article also touches on the incorporation of children into democratic processes, discussions and decision-making. Since individuals under the age of 18 are often regarded as partial citizens who are excluded from social life and political decision-making processes, this field study aims to promote an understanding of digital citizenship within the context of social, political and cultural engagement. Following the principles of democratic participation, this study takes into account the potential of social media and digital tools as spaces where different segments of society intersect and converge, thereby enhancing the participation of children and adolescents transitioning into adulthood across various domains of life.